The Bath Priory Hotel And Spa

“Magical Experience: Outstanding Staff and Unbeatable Dining”

Our stay was absolutely incredible and unforgettable. I proposed to my partner during our time here, and after letting the staff know in advance, they went above and beyond to make it truly special. The experience at the Spa was wonderful, and dinner at the restaurant was exquisite. They brought ou… more

Our stay was absolutely incredible and unforgettable. I proposed to my partner during our time here, and after letting the staff know in advance, they went above and beyond to make it truly special. The experience at the Spa was wonderful, and dinner at the restaurant was exquisite. They brought out a few complimentary tasters from the chef throughout the meal, which ended up being one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had. It was such a magical time, and we’re already talking about coming back for future anniversaries.

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“Fantastic stay”

The staff were absolutely fantastic all the way through booking, arrival & departure. The hotel is a perfect spot within walking distance from the city centre but feels like it’s own oasis away from the city. I couldn’t fault a thing! They made our babymoon so very special. Thank you!

“An Unexpected Pleasure”

We stayed on a quiet Monday and Tuesday in a wet October, using the hotel as a base for trips nearby, outside Bath. The first pleasant surprise was being upgraded on arrival. They didn't have to do that, but it was a great start! The main restaurant only operates from Wed-Sat but that was OK with… more

We stayed on a quiet Monday and Tuesday in a wet October, using the hotel as a base for trips nearby, outside Bath. The first pleasant surprise was being upgraded on arrival. They didn't have to do that, but it was a great start! The main restaurant only operates from Wed-Sat but that was OK with us as we're not big eaters and National Trust cream teas fuelled our afternoons. The food in smaller restaurant - the Pantry - was tasty and well presented and the service cheerful and efficient. On our second day they even brought us (proper!) tea and scones after the “official” tea hours had just ended, all done with a smile. As highlighted elsewhere, the breakfast is plentiful with a good choice and good quality ingredients. The hotel has magnificent gardens but we didn't get to see them - another excuse to return in the spring! We also didn’t use the spa, so no comment there. Our room had a very comfortable Vi-Spring bed with all the expected amenities. The wi-fi was fast and reliable throughout the hotel. The TV is an old Samsung with no internet connection, so we didn't bother with it. I noticed there was no air-conditioning, which might be an issue in a heatwave, but there was a huge bladeless Dyson fan. As it was, the temperature was perfect. The bathroom is grand. There are 2 showers: one is detachable and part of the bath plumbing, useful for rinsing hair in a bath; the other is a dinner-plate sized fixed head which gives a wonderful wake-up in the morning, although you have to step into the bath to use it and the screen is not quite wide enough to prevent a fairly wet floor afterwards. Toiletries are L’Occitane – very nice, with real bars of soap, not nailed-down bottles. Our room overlooked the front parking and although the road had little traffic, the noise was noticeable but not intrusive. If I had to change one thing about the room I would add USB charging points. There are none, so bring your own adaptors. The hotel is in a great location, next to the Bath botanical gardens but the best thing about it is the staff. On the strength of our experience we booked another Brownsword hotel for our fifth night, but sadly one great hotel does not make a great chain. That’s another story...

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“Adequate but disappointing”

It should be so good but we became increasingly irritated throughout our short stay. The receptionist greeted us and treated us as if we weren't all there in a patronising sing song voice. The room was lovely but there was no milk for the hot drinks so the receptionist told us she would have some … more

It should be so good but we became increasingly irritated throughout our short stay. The receptionist greeted us and treated us as if we weren't all there in a patronising sing song voice. The room was lovely but there was no milk for the hot drinks so the receptionist told us she would have some sent up. Hubby gave up waiting for it. There wasn't a shelf in the shower and hubby struggled because he couldn't put anything on the floor because there wasn't room to bend over. The bed was very comfortable and the view very tranquil. The spa and my treatment was perfect. We like to have a drink before dinner and arrived in the lounge area at 7pm. Hubby went to ask for a drink at 10 past but was told that someone would come. We were totally ignored by everyone who came in and out of the room. We hailed someone before they could escape in order to place our order. It eventually arrived at 7:30pm when we were due to have dinner. Dinner was odd with some very strange combinations of flavours. Cold scallops with a vanilla sauce do not go. There was also obviously a job lot of truffles in the kitchen because our starter, amuse bouche, main and everything came with it. They tried to give us the pre-dessert twice and got quite shirty when we insisted we'd already had it. 'Are you sure?' Of course we were sure! Pudding turned out to be not what hubby had ordered. When it did come, advertised as a mango parfait, it barely tasted of mango. My honey baked fig had had a very quick in and out in an oven and the ice cream with it tasted weird. Perhaps it was truffle? When the sweet treats came, there were 3 between the 2 of us. We were very good natured and didn't fight over them. Breakfast was okay although the streaky bacon was unpleasantly flacid. It took ages to get a coffee and rather oddly when I asked for it black it was delivered with milk and then three at a time for the two of us. I was also horrified to hear the person in charge explain to a new person that if the butter and jams looked untouched, they could be kept for the next day's service. I was suddenly very concerned that I had just eaten someone else's butter from the day before. Overall the staff just didn't seem to be in command of the guests or the processes.

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